I love Easter. Spring has finally arrived, and it’s a special day I get to celebrate with family–and good food of course! Easter dinner is so special for us, and I love having a table filled with a feast of good food! But sometimes planning an Easter Menu can feel complicated. Or sometimes I just want a fresh twist on the classic Easter Dinner ingredients to change things up a bit.

If you are looking for some ways to change up the usual Easter fare a little, or just need some good ideas to expand and round out your Easter Menu, I’ve got 22 easy recipes that are the perfect addition to any Easter Meal. From some main course ideas, to sides and some desserts, hopefully these recipes will give you some new inspiration as you plan your Easter Meals this year. And because you know I’m all about easy cooking, none of these recipes are super complicated or overly time consuming. But they are all delicious! Plus, if you end up with too much left over ham on Monday, two of the ham dishes are perfect for turning leftovers into some great dinners. [Read more…]

I’ve been sharing recipes with you here on Eat at Home for over 6 years. It’s important to me that the recipes and cooking tips and other blog posts you read here meet your needs.

To make sure that we’re delivering what you want, I do a couple of things. I read every comment that gets left on the blog. I read (and try to respond) to every email that I get. I pay attention to the conversation that takes place on the Facebook page. All of that gives me a better idea of what you find helpful.

Reader surveys are another way for me to get to know you and your needs better.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to fill out the survey today. As a thank you there’s a chance at a $100 Amazon card in it for you. The survey is only 12 questions and should take just 5-10 minutes to complete.

We’ll be back to recipes tomorrow and I’ve got some great recipes to share this week – Easter recipes, a new Ham and Asparagus Quiche recipe, Pineapple Dump Cake and a quick, easy, and healthy side dish idea!

Have you ever heard the term “decision fatigue”? It’s a phrase used to describe the condition of a person after they’ve made a long series of decisions. After a whole day of deciding large and small things, we get tired. Our decisions become poorer. This is why we’re more likely to eat a whole bag of chips or a big bowl of ice cream in the evening, even when we’ve determined we’re going to eat healthy foods.

It also explains why we run through the drive thru instead of heading home to face what may or may not be in the pantry. Before we can cook, we have to decide what to make and often that’s one decision too many at the end of a long day.

I don’t like to shop, partly because of decision fatigue. Shopping involves too many decisions. Whether it’s for groceries or clothes, I just don’t care for it. Of course, it still needs to be done!

There are two ways to reduce decision fatigue in the area of shopping for clothes or food. One is to eat and wear the same things. Adopting a uniform or a rotating menu saves time and energy.

But sometimes you want to break out of the spaghetti, tacos, chicken casserole rut. Both menus and wardrobes can use refreshing now and then.

I have learned that having meals all planned out and printing a grocery list ahead of time makes the whole process better. The shopping goes quicker. The decisions of what to fix at the end of a long day is taken care of. (For years I menu planned for my family so we could enjoy the benefits of it. Now I do it for you too.)

Like having a menu and grocery list – for your wardrobe!

I’m excited to tell you about a service I stumbled on last year. Through the rabbit trails of the internet, I found the website, Get Your Pretty On. My timing was great because Alison was just starting her very first Spring Fashion Challenge. I signed up and have since done her challenges for every season of the year, plus her Basic Wardrobe Challenge and the Men’s Challenge (great for having a list to shop for my husband).

Just like the Eat at Home Weekly Meal Plans has everything planned out so you can hit the store knowing exactly what you need, Alison gives you a printable shopping list for seasonal clothing.

And just like Weekly Meal Plans gives you main dishes and sides to go with them for each day, Alison gives you outfit ideas combining the items on her shopping list.

You end up with 21 days of outfits. I save the outfit ideas to my Evernote and refer back to them all the time. In fact, our weather warmed up last week and I pulled out the ideas from last year’s Spring challenge to wear again.

Why is it important to reduce decision fatigue?

Using a pre-planned service for clothes shopping or grocery shopping frees up valuable energy. That means more mind power to focus on helping one of my kids work through an issue. Or having the energy to plan family time together. Or even just to be fully present at the dinner table.

And it’s fun to get new ideas and try things I might not track down on my own.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I only share things with you that I truly love and that I think you will too.

As I said last month, I don’t know if I will be able to get rid of my migraines and headaches. I don’t know if any of these ideas will work for someone else either. (Read all the way to the end so you don’t miss the irony of this…)

But I’m determined to try this year.

I do a lot of driving during the week. One of the ways I pass the time is listening to podcasts. And one of the podcasts I really like is Zig Ziglar. Mr. Ziglar has passed away, but his son carries on the legacy. In the podcasts they play an old clip of Zig Ziglar speaking and then discuss it.

One of the clips I’ve heard several times goes something like this: Zig asks the audience if there’s anything they could do right now that would make their life worse in the next few weeks. Of course, everyone laughs and raises their hand. We can all think of things we can do that will make our life worse.

But then Zig tells the audience that whether they realize it or not, they just admitted that there are things they can do right now to make their life better. Things that will make their relationships better. Their jobs better. Their health better.

That’s how I’m viewing my attempt at getting rid of my migraines. I may not kick them forever. But I can make active choices that will make me feel better.

And it’s working!

As I type this, I’ll tell you that I am fighting a migraine. I’ve applied several essential oils (more on that below). I’m hoping to avoid taking the big meds, but get this…

I went a week and a half with no headaches or migraines at all!

That is huge for me!

When I first started my efforts, I continued to battle headaches for several days each week. But after about two weeks, those headaches were more easily managed. I even got rid of one entirely just by using essential oils. And then I was able to have 1 1/2 weeks pain free.

Here are the steps I’ve been taking and an update on how each one is going. I’ve made a few tweaks to several.

1. Going to bed on time

I’ve been doing pretty good with this, but I have pushed it the last few nights. There have also been weekend nights that I stayed up later and it hasn’t caused me a headache. I think the key is to regularly get enough sleep (and sleeping in to catch up doesn’t seem to work). Then those occasional later nights aren’t such a problem.

No more pushing the bedtime for me. I think that’s a large reason why I’m battling the head pain now.

2. Yoga

I’m still doing the poses for healthy neck and jaw that are part of the Stay at Home Yoga program. (I’ve logged more than 40 days in a row so far. My goal is at least 90 in a row.) I also do one of the classes or at least a few more poses each morning. I’m really liking this program. It’s gentle, but it works. And I don’t dread it like other exercise programs.

3. Essential Oils

Peppermint and Stress Away are still my go-to oils for head pain. I did order M-Grain, which is a special blend for migraines. I use it but, I like the peppermint better.

I also ordered Valor to use for TMJ and clenching of my teeth. I really like this oil. I use it at night. And I use it when I start to get a headache. In fact, the thing that has worked best in using the oils for head pain is to use several of them at once. Stress Away on my shoulders and neck. Valor on my jaws and back of neck. Peppermint and/or M-Grain behind ears, on temples and at base of skull. And then reapply frequently.

In a metal or glass bowl, whisk boiling water and magnesium flakes together until the flakes dissolve.

Whisk in coconut oil. Keep whisking until it blends together to form a white cream. This will take several minutes.

Stir in several drops of lavender oil.

The magnesium cream is much neater than the spray. It tingles and burns a little more too when I apply, which means I’m getting more magnesium. I’ve heard that it will tingle/burn if you’re low on magnesium. As your levels come up, that will stop. I have no real reference to site for this though, so I don’t know if that’s true or not.

6. No sweets until after dinner

I’m still abiding by this personal rule. At least most days. There have been a couple of exceptions, but not many.

Update – the day after originally writing this post

That headache I told you I was battling? I lost. Big time. I ended up with a doozy of a migraine that wouldn’t respond to my meds. I think I waited too long in hopes that the oils would work. Lesson learned.

And I felt stupid that I wrote this post about how “it’s working” and then immediately ended up with a killer migraine.

But I do think it’s working. I’m learning what works and what doesn’t. It’s going to take time. I’m not ready to give up on all of this yet.

Reading digital books and a book recommendation

A while back I shared that I thought one reason I hadn’t been finishing books recently is that I’d been reading on my phone. My theory was that reading on the phone, or even Kindle, made it too easy to ditch the books.

It’s been a while since I started any books on my phone. I used to buy books fairly regularly. Kindle books, that is. But for the last several months I haven’t been doing that. In fact, it’s been so long that I forgot why I stopped.

But looking back, I remember thinking I would give more paper and ink books a try instead of relying on my phone and kindle to read.

The trouble is, I ended up quitting on the paper books just as easily as on the Kindle. And I forget about the very few I did buy.

Obviously, I have a quitting problem. Or at least a quitting habit that I need to come to terms with. I do think that I read more when I read on my phone. It’s handy. It’s convenient. And even if I don’t finish a book, I definitely start more when I give myself the option of reading digitally.

This week I bought Lisa Terkeurst’s book, The Best Yes. I’ve heard so many good things about this book, but I was skeptical. I thought it would be a lot of the same things you hear everywhere.

I’m only a few chapters in, but this one is really good! It’s thought provoking in a way that has already caused me to take action.

I’ve been so scattered and distracted lately. My schedule has gotten completely out of control and I’ve let some bad habits creep into how I manage my time. I’m not sure where the rest of the book is going, but the third chapter was worth the purchase price for me.

Rediscover Me – a 28 Day Challenge

You may remember me sharing the fashion challenges that Alison has done before. This time, she’s pulled together a 28 week journey to help women rediscover themselves. Sometimes in the midst of mothering and working and all the other things that pull at us, we forget to take care of ourselves.

This program won’t be for everyone. In Alison’s words:

This challenge might be for you if:

You’re ready to regain your confidence and a sense of who you really are.

You’re stuck in a rut and not sure how to get out of it.

You’re wanting to rediscover a sense of your identity outside of your typical roles of mom and wife.

You’re an empty nester ready to reinvent yourself. You may have a vague sense of what’s next but aren’t really sure.

Most importantly, you’re ready to dig deep and DO THE WORK. This course is called a challenge for a reason. It’s intensive and life changing. I only want women who are 100% committed to it.

I’ve signed up and here’s why – It’s not so much that I feel stuck in a rut, but I do sometimes feel stuck in the gray of winter. Sometimes just a little change is enough to perk me up.

And I’ve done all of Alison’s fashion challenges. The programs she puts together have been top notch. And the community that she builds around those programs are also amazing. I expect the same to be true of her Rediscover Me challenge.

The challenge starts on Feb. 1 and the registration closes on Jan. 30.

Freezer Cooking – Virtually and in your own kitchen

I’m in the process of planning a Virtual Freezer Cooking Day event on the Eat at Home Facebook page. Right now I’m planning on Feb. 21. More details to come!

And in case you’re in the mood to get a head start on stocking your freezer, the 12 Slow Cooker Meal Plans ebook is on sale through the end of January. All the details about the book and the sale can be found here.

I’ve also got another video that I’ll be uploading next week. This time I show how to assemble the meals for the February Slow Cooker Weekly Meal Plans freezer week. That video will go up sometime next week.

This post is much different than most that I share. If you’re just here for the food, skip this one. We’ll be back to the table on Monday!

The biggest goal I have this year is to get rid of my migraines and headaches. I know. That may not really be possible. But as I thought about it, I do have control over a few things that could make a big difference in how I feel.

I almost didn’t share this post. These things may not work for me. Or for anyone. The reason I decided to publish this is because maybe it will help someone. People who deal with migraines will try all kinds of things to get rid of them. But we also get tired of trying sometimes. Right now I’m at the place where I’m ready to make a renewed effort. If you’re at that place too, maybe some of these things will help.

This will be an ongoing effort for me, but here are the things I’m trying:

1. Going to bed on time.

One thing that triggers migraines for me is being tired. But I can make sure I get in bed by 10pm every night. Or nearly every night.

2. Yoga – particularly one set of poses for healthy neck and jaw.

I like that it doesn’t require any special equipment. And that I can do it in my living room.

There are full, multi-class series (my favorite series is Yoga for Desk Jockeys), mini yoga breaks that only take a couple of minutes and 3 short poses that focus on a specific need.

I’m committed to do the 3 poses for healthy neck and jaw everyday for at least 90 days. I’ve logged 16 days so far (I started in December). These poses stretch the exact muscles the massage therapist worked on last winter in an effort to treat my migraines. As soon as I tried the poses, I knew I’d stumbled on something good.

Those poses only take about 5 minutes, so it’s easy to fit in. Then I’ve been adding one of the other classes too.

I’ve been using peppermint oil and Stress Away to help ward off migraines. As soon as I feel my shoulders, neck and jaw get tight (early warning symptom of a migraine for me) I rub Stress Away all over the area. Then I apply peppermint to my temples, behind my ears and base of my skull.

I do think this has curbed several migraines. And it also provides some relief when I do have one.

Young Living also has an oil called M-Grain that I’ll be trying soon.

4. Taking vitamins daily.

I bought a big jar of gummy vitamins at Costco. May not help, but it won’t hurt.

5. Magnesium oil

I’ve read that many people are low in magnesium and that can cause migraines (among other things). One way to get magnesium is to spray magnesium oil on the feet each night before bed. It’s absorbed best through the skin, which works for me because I hate swallowing huge pills.

You can easily make your own magnesium oil by boiling 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup magnesium flakes. Put that in a spray bottle and you’re all set. I added drop of Lavender oil because it’s good for sleep.

6. No sweets until after dinner.

This is a personal rule I came up with to curb my sweet tooth a bit. I think there’s connection between too much sugar (especially chocolate sweets) and my migraines. Instead of going cold turkey like I tried last year, I’m taking a “small is big” approach. I’m too likely to throw in the towel if I make it too hard on myself. Knowing I can indulge a little late in the day keeps me on track.

How it’s going:

So far, so good. I’ve taken a lot less Treximet than I usually do. Time will tell if these changes will reduce my migraines and headaches. But so far, I do think I’m moving in the right direction.

Mom Advice shared this article on how Franklin came to join the Peanuts gang. Short version is a mom decided she wanted to do something positive after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. So she started writing letters to Charles Schulz. The article is worth the read and there’s an interview with Harriet Glickman at the end that’s also worth watching. She shares why she decided to write to Charles Schulz and more.